Hatch-Platt House (1837-2003)

Hatch-Platt House (1837-2003). Foundations of a Grand Home at the Edge of Plainfield. The property was originally purchased from the Federal Government by Samuel Shively on June 11, 1835. Within two years, Robert W. Chapman, pioneer land speculator, acquired the land. Here, Chapman constructed the original house, a modest, two-story rectangular structure approximately 16x 20-foot in size (640 sq ft). Like many pioneer speculators, Chapman suffered financial troubles in the early 1840s, losing his property to foreclosure. , In 1839, John S. Hatch, 32, arrived from New York state. That same year, Sabrina Norton, 30, settled at Plainfield Township. They were married the following year, and purchased the Chapman house and farm in 1842. As the Hatch family grew (John Norton Hatch, was born in 1849) and prospered, they enlarged the home to reflect their social status. , Mid-century Renovations , By 1850, an imposing 30 x 28-foot addition (1700 sq ft), nearly square in plan, was built at the northeast corner of the original home. The two-story addition nearly hid the former structure from view. A substantial barn and large orchard were also established on the site. Situated along the well-travelled Lockport, Plainfield, and Yorkville Plant Road, the imposing Hatch residence was familiar to many regional travelers in the 1850s. , Hatch marries Platt
With the deaths of John S. Hatch (1869); John N. Hatch (1875); and Sabina Hatch (1880), the house was inherited by a niece, Clara Norton. A year later, Clara married widower John Platt, who with his two children, moved into the former Hatch residence. The home was enlarged again around 1902, with the addition of a 1½-story kitchen wing at the southwest corner of the residence (610 sq ft). This remained the Platt home until 1913, when John and Clara Platt both died. A son, Jesse King Platt, occupied the house until hi sudden death in 1925 and the property was sold to the Chicago Gravel Company. , A succession of tenants rented the house and tillable land through the late 1970s. During that time, electricity, indoor plumbing, and other modern conveniences were installed in the house. By the late 1980s, the abandoned house had fallen into disrepair. , Preserving History , Purchased by the Forest Preserve District of Will County in 1999, the Hatch-Platt House remained vacant. Between 2001 and 2003, the Village Preservation Association sought to preserve a portion of the historic house. Unfortunately, decades of neglect led to the decision to demolish the structure in late 2003. However, the foundations have been preserved as a reminder of this historic residence. , [Captions] , . 1873 illustration showing the grand Hatch-Platt home at its best. , . 1873 plat map showing original property. , . 1893 plat map showing increased property. , . Foundation remains showing 3 phases of house development. , . 2003 Hatch-Platt House in disrepair just before demolition. , Why Preserve This Bit of History? The Village Preservation Association of Plainfield originally tried to preserve a portion of the Hatch-Platt House before it was determined to be too far deteriorated to save. With fewer and fewer historic homes remaining in the area, important pieces of the early area settlements are being lost to the passage of time. ,
By connecting ourselves with the past we are better able to understand our place in the present and our path to the future.